Dalton Police Arrest Brent Pickard On Assault Charge

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Brent Pickard

The Dalton Police Department on Monday arrested Brent Price Pickard, 45, of 1426 Williams Street in Chattanooga on a charge of simple assault. The charge stems from last week’s incident at the Eligère Carpet and Rugs facility on Hamilton Street that led to a four-hour standoff with police as Pickard barricaded himself inside of his office.

Investigators determined that before the standoff on Tuesday, April 22, Pickard was involved in an argument with a woman outside of the building. During that argument he used a rifle to intimidate her, putting it on the back of his truck but apparently not aiming it at her. He also threw a cup of tea at her during the course of the argument. Pickard, who was intoxicated, then went inside of the building leaving the rifle in his truck. The woman ran into a neighboring business and told a man that Pickard had gone into the Eligère building with a gun. That man called 911 and reported the incident to police who formed a perimeter around the building and determined that all employees other than Pickard were safely outside.

After a four-hour period of negotiations with Dalton investigators, Pickard eventually agreed to leave the facility and go to Hamilton Medical Center for evaluation.

On Monday, Pickard was booked into the Whitfield County jail on a simple assault charge for intimidating the woman with the rifle and throwing an object at her during the argument, both of which put her in fear for her life.

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